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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Summer transfer window has ended and liverpool have failed to sign any striker whatsoever.

WestHam rejected late bid for Carlton Cole.
Babel flew to london and then tweeted he is staying.
Loan move from stoke for Lucas Leiva was rejected.
Liverpool didn't even move for Wolfswinkel.
Left-back Paul Konchesky officially signed for liverpool.
Insua left for Galatasaray on loan.
Liverpool signed two youngsters.

And that was it....An interesting though disappointing end to the deadline as liverpool failed in their bid to land a striker.Fans were visibly left ruing the pressure on Torres and have already begin speculating whether the star striker will stay in January or not.

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of full-back Paul Konchesky from Fulham on a four-year deal.The 29-year-old left back becomes boss Roy Hodgson's latest signing at Anfield after agreeing personal terms with the Reds and passing a medical.As part of the deal, youngsters Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic have made the switch to Craven Cottage and Liverpool are believed to have paid an initial fee in the region of £3.5million for the former England international, that could rise to £5million.Hodgson has been on the lookout for a left-back for some time and knows Konchesky well from his time in charge of Fulham.

Emiliano Insua has left Liverpool for Turkish giants Galatasaray on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent.The 21-year-old full-back has been at Liverpool for the past four years, having joined as a youngster from Boca Juniors.However, he struggled to break into the side and today's signing of Paul Konchesky by the Anfield club put another hurdle in his path."Galatasary announce that Argentinian Emiliano Insua has joined from Premier League club Liverpool on a one-year loan with a purchase option agreement," Galatasaray said on their website.Insua made 44 appearances for Liverpool in total, the bulk of them coming last season. He scored his only goal for Liverpool in the League Cup against Arsenal last year.Having been a regular at youth levels, Insua has two senior Argentina caps, both coming in FIFA World Cup qualifiers last summer.

West Ham expect a last minute bid from Liverpool for Carlton Cole after Roy Hodgson's approach for Fulham'sBobby Zamora was dismissed out of hand by Mark Hughes.
Hodgson wanted to raid his old club again having pushed through a deal for one of his old boysPaul Konchesky, but talks are continuing over Cole, withRyan Babela potential makeweight in a £12 million deal.A source close to the deal toldSoccernet: "The possibility of Zamora going to Liverpool was a non starter, not even worth going there. But Liverpool remain interested in Carlton Cole.With Sunderland and Stoke willing to pay £9 million plus £3 million for add-ons, the Hammers might have to accept a lesser fee as the England centre-forward will only quit east London for a big club such as Liverpool.The club are also interested in signing a goalkeeper and Roma's Brazilian No. 2 Doni is top of their wishlist.The 30-year-old has been told he can leave Italy with Bogdan Lobonc and Julio Sergio favoured between the posts for the Serie A side and could arrive at Upton Park on loan.Doni has also been linked with Portuguese side Benfica and Manchester City as well.

Midfielder Lucas says he is in the dark over his Liverpool future amid reports he could be offloaded by boss Roy Hodgson.The summer arrivals of Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles at Anfield have cast doubt over the Brazilian's future and he has been linked with a deadline-day switch to Stoke City.The 23-year-old, who is now away with his country on international duty, admits his future is uncertain despite the fact he is seen as a key member of the first-team squad and started both the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City earlier this month and Sunday's 1-0 win over West Brom.
"What is the situation? I don't know. I'm still playing," he said."At the moment, I haven't had any offers. I don't know if the club wants to sell me. I just have to wait. I'm going away with the to wait. I'm going away with the national team (on Thursday) and I can't say any more than that."We don't have any games so we will be training for a week in Barcelona.
"If the club want to sell me, what can I do? I just have to wait and see what will happen."Lucas added: "I need to be playing and I want to be playing but I believe that I am doing well. The manager will choose who plays. I have a contract here and if I don't get anything good for me or for the club, then I will stay."

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has made an enquiry regarding signing Liverpool winger Ryan Babel on loan after failing to land a forward in the last 48 hours. West Ham and Sunderland have been previously linked with the Dutch international.
According to sources Redknapp has missed out on deals for Luis Fabiano, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Emmanuel Adebayor and Guiseppe Rossi. The Spurs manager has now set his sights on signing out-of-favour reds winger Babel on a season-long loan deal.

Reports confirm that Tottenham Hotpsur have made an enquiry however Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is only interested in the winger leaving on a permanent basis, with the reds eager to recoup as much of the £11.5 million transfer fee they paid Ajax three years ago.Babel has interested a number of Premier League clubs during the summer window including Steve Bruce’s Sunderland and Avram Grant’s West Ham. However at this point in time only Redknapp has made an official enquiry regarding the Dutch international forward.

Liverpool defender Dan Agger has welcomed the imminent signing of Fulham fullback Paul Konchesky.The Danish international has been operating on the left side of the Reds' defence in the early weeks of the season as the manager continues to look to strengthen that area of his squad.
"I've done the job but it's not really my place in the team," Agger told liverpoolfc.tv.
"The boss knows it and I know it. But as long as the boss wants me to play there, I will do it."I won't complain. I will do the job for the team. If he thinks that I am the best man for that role, I will keep doing it."It will be good if and when he (Konchesky) comes in. He is a specialised left-back and I'm not. It all means that it is good for the team.''
"We need the competition. It has always been there and it always will be. It will be good for going forward.''

Barcelona recruit Javier Mascherano has hit out at Liverpool following his departure from the club.The Argentina skipper believes some untruths have been told regarding his exit from Anfield and insists that the truth will soon come out.“Roy Hodgson knows the truth,” the 26-year old said.

“This is a happy moment for me so now is not the moment to say it, but a lot of lies have been spoken about me and shortly I will respond.”

Liverpool left-back Emiliano Insua is close to joining Turkish side Galatasaray, according to our sources.

The Merseysiders and the Turkish club have agreed a fee for out-of-favour left-back Insua, who was linked with moves to Fiorentina and Genoa earlier in the season.Insua was close to making the switch to the Italy, however personal terms were not agreed with either of the sides.Reports earlier in the week suggested Liverpool were making a move for Turkish winger Arda Turan and would include Insua as part of the move.However, we now understand that Insua is close to making the switch to Galatasaray, after Liverpool and the Turkish side agreed a fee in the region of £4.5million for the Argentine.Reports were soon confirmed after the 21-year-old wrote the following on his officialTwitterprofile: “Road to Istanbul in search of continuity, I hope everything goes well!”Liverpool and Galatasaray will make the move official later today if personal terms are agreed.Insua has made 62 first-team appearances for the Merseyside giants, with one goal to his name against Arsenal in the Carling Cup.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hodgson has snapped up Raul Miereles and Konchesky is certain to sign by the end of the day. Rebel midfielder Mascherano has moved to Barcelona today and am sure he will hear a lots of boos if he ever comes across any group of red supporters.

Roy now desperately needs a striker to partner torres upfront but is running out of options and ruing lack of time.Toivonen deal is a no-deal as even Roy has refused it by now. Llorente rumour is a non-starter and has died down as quickly as it came up. So, now Carlton Cole looks the most probable striker to come to embrace the sacred red shirt.But hammers are playing games now and won't let him go for less.
Hodgson also inquired whether a loan deal for german striker Mario Gomez is possible or not.Gomez will be replying today and i would love him at anfield and so will the lakhs and crores of fans all around the world.
Apart from these, Artem Milevskiy and Bryan Ruiz are still not out of ears and with just a couple of days before the transfer deadline one of these two may surprisingly sign for Liverpool.

Just two days and with all of red clan hoping for a decent solution of striker problem, we must see a deal soon.

Just heard David Ngog is injured so that doubles the pressure on Torres and Hodgson.Its really a nailbiting end of the long running striker saga of liverpool.

So finally Torres found the ball in the back of the net and his name on the scoresheet. We fans are delighted but more than us all, its torres himself who is glad to score and win a game for his team.

Once in a while a phase comes in the footballing life of a striker when he is out of form and no matter how and where he shoots, the ball just refuses to go into the net. It will hit the side post,cross-bar,legs,arms and even fingertips of the lucky and scared goalie but the ball will not go in, much to the frustation of the striker.
Torres had this phase since the world cup. His injuries played a huge part in depriving him of precious game time but he never gave up and finally after long wait he has got one in the bag, the one to get off the mark. Now, a lot of pressure is released and hopefully he's more confident now. Days are coming back when he will once again be feared as one of the most feared striker in premier league.
We hope to see a lot more goals from you torres.
YNWA

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Liverpool have agreed a fee of £4 million with Fulham to sign left back Paul Konchesky with the possibility of youngsters Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic heading to Craven Cottage.According to theDaily Mail, 19-year-old Valle and Swede Kacaniklic have been requested by Fulham who may leave Anfield on a loan deal.While Konchesky looks to be added to the Liverpool squad, Lucas Leiva sets to make his way out of anfield after reports suggest his family haven't settled well at anfield.

Liverpool have signed FC Porto and Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles for £10.7million, according toThe Guardian.
Liverpool lost midfielder Javier Mascherano today to Barcelona but have moved quickly to secure the signing of 27-year-old Meireles.Meireles, who had an outstanding World Cup for Portugal, has reportedly already agreed personal terms with only a medical now required.Porto had put Meireles on the transfer list, as he only has two years left on his contract at the Estádio do Dragão and they didn’t want to lose him on a free transfer in the future.The former Boavista man has been linked with moves to both Chelsea and Manchester United in recent times, however Liverpool have succeeded in bringing him to England.The transfer is set to be completed over the weekend, with Roy Hodgson hopeful that his new boy can make his debut against birmingham city next week.

Liverpool have been rocked by the news that holding midfielder Lucas Leiva is now demanding a move away from the club. According toSky Sports News, the Brazilian is said to have told the Anfield giants that his family is unable to settle on Merseyside and would prefer a switch to another club in London or another country like Spain.The latest blow to Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson debut season in charge after leaving Fulham for Anfield this summer would immediately bring comparisons to just departed midfielder Javier Mascherano’s situation prior to signing for Barcelona earlier today.The Argentina captain also made the same claims that his family could not settle in England and demanded to leave the club due personal reasons. Mascherano then asked to be left out of Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Manchester City on Monday and sparked widespread furore over the growing role of player power in the sport.
Lucas had previously never shown any sign of unhappiness at Anfield and had been looking forward to playing a greater role in the team under Hodgson. While constantly regarded lowly by fans of the club, the defensive midfielder constantly had support from former Reds boss Rafael Benitez and also played a starring role in Liverpool’s win over Trabzonspor in Turkey that saw them qualify for the Europa League group stage.If Lucas were also to leave the club this summer and no reinforcements set to arrive on the horizon, Liverpool could be plunged into a crisis even more severe than last season’s when the club finished out of the top four.

Friday, August 27, 2010

'Mr Loophole' persuades magistrate to suspend 50-day ban for speeding because footballer's wife is unwilling to drive.
The England footballer Joe Cole avoided an immediate ban for speeding at 105mph after a court heard today that his wife was "severely traumatised" after being dragged from her car by "eight thugs on motorbikes".Carly Zucker has been unable to get back behind the wheel since she was the victim of a carjacking outside her Chelsea home, Staines magistrates court in south-west London was told.

Police are still hunting for the black Audi A4, which was stolen almost a fortnight ago, said Cole's lawyer, Nick Freeman. The chairman of the bench, John Neary, agreed to suspend a 50-day ban and £750 fine while Freeman, who is known as Mr Loophole, launches an appeal.The Liverpool and England star did not appear in court for the hearing. Freeman told the court: "His wife was outside their house in London when she was carjacked by eight thugs who were on motorbikes. She was physically removed from the car."The car was stolen and it has not yet been recovered. She is 26 and has been severely traumatised by this incident to the extent that she has not driven a car since."He said the situation was "now compounded" by the fact that Cole and his wife had moved to Merseyside after his summer transfer from Chelsea to Liverpool FC. Because of their profile, Zucker and her five-month-old baby would not be able to use public transport if Cole was banned, the lawyer added.Cole, who has missed a penalty and been sent off since making his debut for Liverpool, was driving his wife's A4 when a police officer spotted him breaking the 70mph limit in November last year. The footballer already had six points on his licence. He was told he must pay £600 costs in addition to the fine.

Boca Juniors star Gary Medel could be on the way to Liverpool to fill the gap left by Barcelona-bound Javier Mascherano, according to the Chilean international's agent.Medel, nicknamed 'Pitbull' for his tough tackling and uncompromising style of play, can feature in midfield or defence, and Fernando Felicevich asserted today that the player is being watched by Liverpool closely as they line up a replacement for Mascherano before the end of the summer transfer window.
"We are waiting to hear something back from Gary, since he is one of the options that the coach [Roy Hodgson] is considering after Mascherano's departure," Felicevich told Radio Cooperativain this morning's interview.

Medel is officially still part of Chilean club Universidad Catolica, but has been on loan in Argentina since June 2009."The subject could now be reopened, but there is still time."As of yet there has been no official approach or comment from Liverpool regarding Medel.

Alberto Aquilani has revealed he hopes to win a permanent deal at Juventus after joining the club on loan from Liverpool.Aquilani has returned to Italy on a tempoary basis after a disappointing debut season with the Reds last term.The former Roma midfielder joined Juve on a season-long loan earlier this week with the Italian giants holding the option to make the move permanent next season at Anfield, but hopes to do enough to secure a long-term stay in Turin."England was a great experience, but I am here to stay," said Aquilani."Leaving Roma was a hard choice, but it helped the club financially. I am a professional and Juventus is a fundamental move in my career and to help me step back towards the national team."There is a will to do well here. Scudetto? We can do well, but Inter have something more.''

Liverpool are reportedly preparing an £8 million bid for FC Utrecht striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel.The 21-year-old forward has been earning rave reviews after bursting onto the scene in the Eredivisie, with newLiverpoolboss Roy Hodgson sending scouts to watch the youngster against Willem II last weekend.Reports returned to the Reds boss were thought to be glowing, a point emphasised by Van Wolfswinkel's Europa League qualifying round hat-trick against Celtic on Wednesday night. Ironically, Utrecht have been drawn against the Anfield club in the group stages of the competition.Already a senior international for Holland, Van Wolfswinkel made his Dutch league debut for Vitesse un 2008. After one season at the GelreDome, the striker announced his move to Utrecht and signed a three-year contract with Utrecht.24 goals in 45 appearances have made Van Wolfswinkel one of the hottest young properties in European football, and his club are now bracing themselves for an abundance of interest from clubs.The Daily Record reported that the Merseyside outfit had overtaken Celtic as favourites to land the teenage striker, and tribalfootball go on to suggest that the Utrecht now expect a bid from the Reds before the close of the transfer window.Hodgson has been linked with a string of strikers in the transfer window, including Ola Toivonen, Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole.With a lack of back-up in the forward positions and an influx of cash following the sale of Javier Mascherano, the former Fulham boss appears likely to move before transfer window closes on august 31st.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard wants to win the Europa League even though he admits it is not the club's priority this season.The Reds have been pitted against Steaua Bucharest, Napoli and Utrecht in the group stages and after four years without a trophy Gerrard is keen to bring some silverware back to Anfield and knows Europe represents as good a chance as any."It's a strong group and I'm certainly looking forward to the games," he said."The media will make us early favourites I'm sure, because of our experience in the Champions League and last year in the Europa League."I'm confident we can get out of the group but it will be tough. The draw has given us some difficult challenges."I don't think the Europa League is the priority. Everybody knows that our league position, where we finish at the end of this year, is the priority."But it's another trophy, it's a big cup."We haven't won a trophy for four years now so it's important we put a good show on in all the cup competitions and try to reward the fans with a final."

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has criticised Javier Mascherano as the Argentinean prepares to leave the club and join Spanish giants Barcelona.Liverpool accepted a bid for Mascherano from Barcelona this morning, having rejected a bid for the player from the Catalan club last weekend.Mascherano had been agitating for a move away from Anfield for some time and following Barcelona’s bid last weekend, the player was deemed as ‘not in the right frame of mind’ to face Manchester City at Eastlands on Monday night.

Mascherano’s attitude upset Hodgson and the 62-year old criticised the attitude of the departing midfielder and other players who fail to respect the terms of their contracts."It is not easy for me to defend the actions (of Mascherano) because professionals are paid to"These situations do occur unfortunately and we have to live with it."I don't think they (the players) mean it as a challenge to your authority or a challenge to the club's authority."It is just a selfish situation that they have got something they want to do and they just expect the club, and therefore you as one of the leaders of the club, to bow down and accept that they to do it."Unfortunately there are going to be periods of time when there will be some unpleasantness because players must also understand that when you sign contracts you sign contracts to play."If the club decide they are going to accept an offer for you and let you go that is one thing, but you run the risk the club might say 'I'm sorry, you've got the contract m sorry, and we aren't selling you so you are staying'."It doesn't bother me as a challenge to my authority it is just a fact of life."But it is a fact of life which gets exacerbated in a one-month period in January and between July and August when it is a time of year when a lot of people are trying to do their business."

Mascherano is said to have agreed personal terms with barcelona and is set to undergo a medical at the club in the next 24 hours.

According to website France Football, Hatem Ben Arfa was in England to negotiate a new contract with Liverpool on Tuesday of this week.The player has been linked most recently with Newcastle. But prior to that Arsene Wenger was seriously considering engaging the Olympique Marseille player.Javier Mascherano’s departure to FC Barcelona will free up the desperately needed funds to let desperately needed funds to let this happen.Liverpool have to reassert themselves this season and Roy Hogson knows that every advantage available to him must be grabbed before the window slams shut in a matter of days now.
OM’s sporting director, Jose Anigo:“There is still no firm proposals from clubs but appointments are set.''
For now, Ben Arfa does not train more with the OM. The French international spent most of his time in his Paris apartment and regularly jogging in the Bois de Boulogne.

Liverpool will play Romanians Steaua Bucharest, Italians Napoli and Dutch side FC Utrecht in the Europa League group stages.The draw for the group stages was made at lunch time today, with Liverpool looking to go all the way to the final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium this year after being knocked out by Atletico Madrid at the semi-final stage last time round.The Reds got drawn into group K, the 11th of 12 groups at this stage of the competition after booking their place in the tournament thanks to qualifying round wins over FK Rabotnicki of Macedonia and Trabzonspor of Turkey.

GroupK:Liverpool
Steua Bucharest
NapoliFC Utrecht

Meanwhile Manchester City were paired with Juventus, Salzburg and Lech, whilstAston Villafailed to qualify for the group stage.The first matchday of the Europa League is 16th September, 2010 with fixtures and kick-off times still to be confirmed.

Liverpool have agreed a transfer fee with Barcelona for Javier Mascherano, who asked to leave Anfield last month."The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder," said the club website.The Reds were keen to recoup the £18m they paid three-and-a-half years ago, after Mascherano joined from West Ham.Mascherano, 26, missed Thursday's trip to Trabzonspor, Thursday's trip to Trabzonspor, where Liverpool secured a place in the group stages of the Europa League with a 3-1 aggregate win.Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has been eager to end the uncertainty surrounding the Argentina captain's future at Anfield."I am seriously hoping that in the next couple of days it will be sorted out one way or another," said Hodgson on Thursday. "Although I have no idea which way that will be."Liverpool also received a bid from Inter Milan, now coached by Hodgson's predecessor Rafael Benitez.But Hodgson dismissed the bid from the Italian side saying: "We received a fax about Mascherano [from Inter], but it was a joke fax."
Mascherano did not travel to Trabzon for the Reds' Europa League play-off but prior to accepting the Barca bid, Hodgson said he would not rule out selecting the combative midfielder for Sunday's Premier League game against West Brom.

Barcelona are intensifying their efforts to land wantaway Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano following Inter's renewed interest and confirmed bidding for the 26-year-old. Reports say that Barca vice president Josep Maria Bertomeu has travelled to Merseyside to finalise a deal for the Argentina captain, who is understood to favour a switch to Camp Nou over renewed acquaintances with former coach Rafa Benitez.
Buoyed by a likely infusion of cash from the imminent departure of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Milan, the Blaugrana are keen to move swiftly to secure the services of Mascherano, who was once again omitted from the Liverpool squad for the Europa League win away to Turkish side Trabzonspor.With just four days remaining in the transfer window, the Reds' chances of closing a deal that matches their valuation for the defensive midfielder are looking more favourable, with two bidders known to be seeking Mascherano's signature. Conflicting reports from Spain and England place that figure anywhere between €26 million and €30.5 million.

Liverpool are reported to have been offered Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra.Diarra is thought to be surplus to requirements at El Santiago Bernabeu following the summer arrival of Sami Khedira from Stuttgart.The 29-year-old has just a year to run on his current contract and Real are willing to offload him now rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Liverpool could be in the market for a defensive midfielder should Javier Mascherano leave Anfield for either Barcelona or Inter Milan.Former Lyon star Diarra admits he would be interested in a move to England as he wants to be playing regular first-team football."A chance to play in the Premier League would be excellent for me because I simply desire to play and not be on the sidelines.'' said Diarra

Liverpool are poised to make an approach for Holland forward Ricky van Wolfswinkel, according to reports.Last week there were suggestions in the media that the Reds are to offer £8 million for the 21-year-old, and now Tribalfootball says that FC Utrecht are expecting an imminent bid from the Anfield club.Roy Hodgson is understood to have identified his striking department as an area in need of reinforcement and, hence, has been linked to numerous goalscorers since taking over as Liverpool boss last month.And, if reports are to be believed, van Wolfswinkel could soon be on his way to Merseyside.The FC Utrecht frontman is one of the hottest prospects in Dutch football, and has hit the ground running this year with six strikes running this year with six strikes in seven games; adding to his tally of 10 goals last season in his debut campaign at the Stadion Galgenwaard.Celtic have previously shown an interest in the former Vitesse marksman, but Liverpool look to be leading the chase for the Holland international.The Reds have also been linked with moves for West Ham striker Carlton Cole and Swedish hotshot Ola Toivonen as they look to add a new recruit as the transfer window closes next week.

Liverpool's mounting frustation with Rafa Benitez spilled over last night after it emerged Inter Milan had offered just £6million plus Sulley Muntari for unsettled midfielder Javier Mascherano.The bid was dismissed by Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, who is tiring of Benitez's antics and ready to rule out any prospect of negotiating with Inter over the proposed sale of his £25m-rated player.
Hodgson said: 'I saw a fax but I think it was sent tongue in cheek. It was so unbelievably far from our valuation that we didn't bother to answer.'There is anger among Anfield chiefs at the way Benitez has attempted to sidestep a written agreement over poaching players from Anfield, and the resentment towards their old boss has only been increased by his latest move.Though Inter have not specified a valuation for Muntari, who cost £13m from Portsmouth, Hodgson has recruited a readymade replacement for Mascherano in Christian Poulsen, and has no interest in a player he views as a Benitez reject.Barcelona vicepresident Josep Maria Bartolomeu is flying to Liverpool today to meet Anfield officials over a proposed £20m deal for Mascherano that would see the Reds receive £15m up front and a further £5m in add-ons.

Fresh after scoring the winning goal in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Tranzonspor on Thursday night,Dirk Kuytmoved to pledge his future to Liverpool.Quotes attributed to the Dutchman’s agent inThe Scumnewspaper earlier in the day had claimed Kuyt had requested not to be involved in the first team in order to force a move to Inter Milan.
But Kuyt said “My future is at Liverpool.“I have had four great years at the club. Unfortunately I have not won any trophies but hopefully I will do in the future. The point for me was that I’m 30 years old and I wanted to know if any club in the world showed any interest in me. The club spoke to me and explained everything. They said I was really important for Liverpool and that made me a really proud person. At that point I focused my thoughts on Liverpool.”Manager Roy Hodgson said “Dirk is a player I’ve always said is an important part of my plans. I made it perfectly clear we don’t welcome any offers and he’s not for sale. But that doesn’t mean in the background there have not been talks between his agent and the club.”
“But as far as I’m concerned he is someone I believe in and count on. It’s important we improve the team around the likes of Gerrard, Reina, Torres and Kuyt, and not sell them.”

Liverpool secured a safe passage into the group stage of the Europa League after grinding out a 2-1 win over Trabzonspor in Turkey as Roy Hodgson became the first Reds boss since Bill Shankly to win his first four European games in charge of the club.

The home side could not have wished for a better start as Teofilo Gutierrez converted inside the opening three minutes to void Ryan Babel's first-leg Anfield winner of one week ago.

Trabzonspor dominated the opening 45 and should have perhaps furthered their lead through captain Ibrahima Yattara, who was guilty of spurning an inviting headed opportunity.

Liverpool were much improved after the break, though David Ngog headed well when he perhaps should have found the back of the net with an unmarked header from inside the six-yard box.

However, their renewed vigour was rewarded when Remzi Giray Kacar put Glen Johnson's cross through his own net before Dirk Kuyt tapped home a winner with just seconds to spare to ensure the Reds' European adventure will continue this season and help Hodgson equal a milestone set by Shankly over four decades ago.

Liverpool touched down in Trabzon on Wednesday afternoon minus a clutch of regular first-team stars as the likes of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger, Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson were all left behind on Merseyside for fitness reasons.

But the Reds' ranks were boosted by the return of Joe Cole, who despite being in the midst of serving a three-match domestic ban, remains eligible to compete in Europe.

He was joined in Hodgson's starting XI by Christian Poulsen, while there were also berths for Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Fabio Aurelio and Martin Kelly as the boss made five changes to the side that went down at Manchester City on Monday.

Much of the talk around town in the countdown to kick-off had centred on Trabzonspor's 1-0 home triumph against a Reds side boasting legendary stars such as Ray Clemence, Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes, Kevin Keegan and John Toshack some 34 years ago.

Liverpool ultimately had the last laugh on that occasion, running out comfortable 3-0 victors in the return meeting at Anfield en route to lifting the European Cup for the first time in Rome.

However, supporters of the Maroon-Blues filtered into the Huseyin Avni Aker Stadium with their hopes of achieving another upset buoyed by a dogged first-leg showing in L4 last week - optimism which transmitted itself into a barrage of noise as the two teams finally entered the arena.

And the decibel levels went up several further notches when Gutierrez fired the home side into a third-minute lead, with the striker diverting Gustavo Colman's shot-turned-cross beyond Pepe Reina from yards out after Dirk Kuyt had conceded possession deep inside the Reds half.

The goal confirmed Trabzonspor's early dominance as the heavens opened in northern Turkey - though the downpour did little to dampen the spirits of the home support and Jamie Carragher was required to produce a trademark block to deny Ibrahima Yattara a clear strike on goal.

The resulting corner worked its way to Gustavo Colman, whose well-struck effort needed to be diverted around the base of the post by a fully-extended Reina.

Trabzonspor should have assumed control of the tie for the first time on 22 minutes as they continued to press, with captain Yattara guilty of heading wide when well positioned at a set piece.

Liverpool could only hope such profligacy would later come back to haunt the hosts, with Glen Johnson's disallowed strike for offside serving as a reminder that an away goal for the Reds would turn the complexion of the tie on its head once more.

It also allowed Hodgson's contingent to begin to impose themselves on the contest and, as the game edged towards half-time, the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the night so far - though Lucas Leiva's tame effort at goal was all they had to show for their endeavour.

The lively manner of the opening 45 continued into the start of the second period as Cole failed to connect properly with Kuyt's searching cross while, at the other end, Burak Yilmaz drilled wide after being played into space inside the box, though the Trabzonspor forward was offside.

Nonetheless, Liverpool should have levelled through Ngog six minutes after the restart, but the French starlet spurned a glorious opportunity by contriving to nod Cole's deep centre the wrong side of the post when unmarked five yards from goal.

The striker then crafted another fine chance moments later, weaving his way through the Trabzonspor rearguard only to drag wide of the upright when faced with Kivrak.

The Reds were certainly carrying more threat to their play in the second half a deflected free-kick from Fabio Aurelio had Kivrak scurrying across his line before narrowly evading the post.

But, with extra-time looming, Johnson's enterprising run into the box saw the full-back's cross put through his own net by Remzi Giray Kacar under pressure from Cole and Ngog.

And it got even better for Liverpool with just two minutes left on the clock as Kivrak failed to hold onto substitute Dani Pacheco's shot, allowing Kuyt to tap home and secure a memorable win.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Summer signings Joe Cole and Christian Poulsen start in midfield tonight for Liverpool as they take on Trabzonspor in Turkey in the Europa League qualifier.The Reds take a 1-0 lead into tonight’s game thanks toRyan Babel‘s strike on the stroke of half time in last week’s first meeting between the two teams at anfield.
David N’gog gets the nod up front with Hodgson reverting to a 4-5-1 formation, withFernando TorresandSteven Gerrardnot having traveled with the squad.There’s also starts forStephen DarbyandFabio Aurelio, who left then returned to the club this summer.
Liverpool:Reina, Johnson, Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Aurelio, Lucas, Poulsen, Kuyt, Cole, Ngog.
Subs: Gulacsi, Pacheco, Babel, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Eccleston.The game gets underway at 11pm(IST).
Live on ESPN

Joe Cole is looking to make amends for his missed penalty when Liverpool travel to take on Trabzonspor in their Europa League second leg on Thursday.The England international will make his return for the Reds as he is in the midst of a three-match suspension for the red card he received in his Premier League debut for Liverpool against Arsenal.Cole is hoping to make up for the penalty he missed in the first leg against the Turkish club, a miss that means that Liverpool will go into the return fixture with just a 1-0 lead.The former Chelsea star admitted fault for his missed spot-kick, but Cole intends to own up to his mistake and help the Reds advance on Thursday.“I’m not a penalty-taker,” Cole told theDaily Star.“I haven’t taken a penalty for about 15 years and I might wait another 15 years before I take another.“I hold my hands up and admit that it wasn’t good enough. I set my standards high and I want to do better.“I feel there is a lot more to come from this team, too. I am anxious that we get the job done so it won’t matter.”The midfielder is disappointed that the Reds were not able to build a more comfortable lead for the tough return leg, but Cole insists that Liverpool have to get the job done.“It would have been nice to take a two-goal lead there, but we have got a job to do and we have got to make sure we do it. We’ve got to be ready to fight.“They were two weeks away from winning the league last year and we probably got the toughest draw possible out of the pot we were in.“They are a good side and it is always difficult playing in hostile atmospheres, but we have got to have confidence we can see it through.“European games are notoriously tough, but we got the job done in the end at Anfield. Hopefully we can do the same here.”

Inter Milan have tabled an official £20-million bid for Liverpool midfielderJavier Mascherano, the Treble winners have confirmed."I sent an offer to Liverpool by fax on Tuesday and am waiting for a reply from them," said Inter sporting director Marco Branca."We're not speaking to the player at the moment because we want to do this in the right way and make sure that Liverpool are happy."Everybody knows that Mascherano would like to change team and to change country. He also has a good relationship with our manager Rafa Benitez."We've made a very good offer, around the amount they are asking for. We have a strong team here, the best in Europe, but we would like to add one or two players to make us even stronger."Liverpool have turned down an offer from Barcelona of €15 million (£12.3 million) plus former Arsenal man Aleksandr Hleb for the holding midfielder.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani last night completed a loan move to Juventus for the rest of the season.The Serie A club also have an option to buy the former Roma player for £13.1million.Liverpool said at weekend that the 26-year-old was travelling to Turin because a deal in principle had been agreed.Aquilani was made ­available for loan by ­Liverpool after struggling to make an impact since his £17million move from Roma last summer.

Liverpool's search for a left-back may well end with Fulham man Paul Konchesky brought to Anfield.Though the Reds have resigned Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua remains on the payroll despite interest from Italian clubs Roy Hodgson has made the capture of a left sided defender.An understanding that players from the West London outfit would not be approached when Hodgson left Fulham does not preclude bids being placed and accepted should valuations are met.The 29-year-old Konchesky who previously played for West Ham United has 12 months remaining on his current deal and was omitted from Mark Hughes' squad for the Carling Cup match with Port Vale.£3 million is thought to be the amount on offer.In a twist of events another target, PSV Eindhoven's Carlos Salcido could end up at craven cottage.

As honeymoons go, Katie Price and Alex Reid’s lasted longer than Roy Hodgson’s at Liverpool.Less than two weeks into the new season and Hodgson is manfully trying to put out the fires which are breaking out all over Anfield.The first flames were lit on Friday when Kenny Huang’s Chinese consortium pulled out of takeover talks, putting the much-needed sale of the club back to square one.On Monday came Javier Mascherano’s refusal to play against Manchester City and the team’s 3-0 drubbing, which was a throwback to the bad old days of Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani last night completed a loan move to Juventus for the rest of the season.The Serie A club also have an option to buy the former Roma player for £13.1million.Liverpool said at weekend that the 26-year-old was travelling to Turin because a deal in principle had been agreed.Aquilani was made ­available for loan by ­Liverpool after struggling to make an impact since his £17million move from Roma last summer.

Liverpool and Barcelona are moving towards a £20m compromise fee for Mascherano, although Hodgson claims he will pick him against West Brom if he is still on Merseyside.“He isn’t here because the negotiations are on-going between the two clubs,” said Hodgson. “If he played here it might prejudice the transfer and I don’t wish to do anything like that.“But going into the game on Sunday, I’m entitled to have the player available for selection if he is still a ­Liverpool player.”Hodgson also confirmed Liverpool are in talks with his old club Fulham over a £3m deal for left-back Paul Konchesky.“We have had discussion with Fulham, but it’s by no means certain they are prepared to sell,'' he said, ''but i would be lying to say that we haven't considered Paul.''

Roy Hodgson has accused predecessor Rafael Benitez of breaking an an agreement not to approach Liverpool players after an agent acting for Dirk Kuyt suggested the forward was keen to leave Merseyside.Speaking to a Dutch magazine Kuyt admitted he had been sounded out about a move to the San Siro.On leaving Anfield in JuneBenitez gave written confirmation that he would refrain from signing Anfield players.The Dutchman's agent failed to escape criticism from Hodgson who in recent days said Inter president Massimo Moratti had assured him there would be no question of the Serie A club making overtures to those formerly under Benitez's charge.Though no formal offer has been made for Kuyt the 30-year-old's representative Rob Jansen has gone on record about talks with Inter and suggested his client is more than open to the prospect.Jansen said: "The two clubs continue to talk, but things are moving slowly. The difference between demand and offer is important. It is something between the clubs but Dirk told Liverpool he no longer wants to be involved as this is something that regards his career and life."It doesn't mean he wants to leave at all costs, but when a club like Inter comes along it's normal to look into the situation further."Kuyt has not agitated for a move according to Hodgson who dismissed the situation portrayed."Dirk has not expressed that sentiment to me," he said."When he left the club Rafael Benitez signed an agreement that he would not poach players from Liverpool."We haven't received an offer from any club so this is something obviously going on behind the scenes, with the agent possibly talking to the manager of Inter Milan.Hodgson added: "We don't welcome any offers, we haven't received an offer and at this late stage of the transfer window it would be remarkably unusual for us to accept an offer for a player we don't want to leave for money we don't need."I would suggest, with respect, if his agent had a serious plan to to move him to the club he should have been working during the last four to five weeks and not the last few days."It is highly unlikely we could receive any offer from another club which we could seriously entertain.

Liverpool are set to take on Turkish club Trabzonspor without a key quintet of players.The Reds meet the northeast club in Trabzon on Thursday night in the second leg of Europa League qualifying and will be withoutFernando Torres,Steven Gerrard,Javier Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez and Daniel Agger for the clash.
Non of the five travelled with the squad to the Black Sea yesterday as Roy Hodgson attempts valiantly to get his side back in form after their disappointing 3-0 loss toManchester Cityin the league on Monday night.Liverpoolwon the first leg over Trabzonspor 1-0 at Anfield last week but will need to improve markedly to get through to the group stage of Europe’s second tier club competition.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Liverpool have approached Bayern Munich about a possible loan for striker Mario Gomez.

Despite featuring in the Germany squad that finished third in this summer's World Cup, the 25-year-old finds himself behind compatriots Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose as well as Ivica Olic in the pecking order at the Allianz Arena.

After PSV Eindhoven ended his pursuit of Ola Toivonen, Roy Hodgson is planning a move for Gomez and is hopeful of a move despite the player publicly ruling out any move away from the Bundesliga champions as he bids to prove his worth to Louis van Gaal.

He said: "I have made my position clear - there will be no transfer.

"I want to convince the coach that he will soon field me in his starting XI.

Liverpool have again come in for west Ham United striker Carlton Cole.

The Reds are still hoping to bring in a quality striker and Roy Hodgson has made no secret for his desire to capture Cole.

Liverpool have made an offer of £6million up front with a further £6million included in the package which has attracted interest from the Hammers despite them turning down bigger bids from Stoke City.

Hodgson’s actions have indicated he is not at all happy with the limp forward showing against Manchester City on Monday night and is desperate to find some help for star striker Fernando Torres in the final third.

Dealmaker Keith Harris has told Liverpool fans that talk of a Chinese takeover was never going to happen.

Last week Hong Kong-based businessman Kenny Huang - whose interest was allied to the Chinese government - pulled out of the bidding process, while Syrian-Canadian Yahya Kirdi's much-publicised interest has been treated with scepticism.

Harris said history has taught him that those who went public before an agreement had been reached rarely succeeded.

"The Chinese government involvement was always a bit far-fetched," he told the London Evening Standard.

"In any takeover situation, when people resort to announcing it to the media, you have to question the seriousness of the offer.

"If the name of the prospective buyer comes out before the deal is done then probably it is never going to be done.

"Look at when Chelsea was sold in 2003. My firm was advising the club and we only knew of Roman Abramovich on the Thursday before the deal was completed the following Tuesday."

Harris worked on a bid for Liverpool two years ago for Kuwaiti Nasser Al Khorafi, whom it is claimed agreed a deal for £300million up front and another £100million based on financial performance only to pull out at the last minute.

"He just lost his appetite. No explanation was forthcoming," added Harris.

Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson says there's a new buzz at Anfield this season.

The Reds full-back has been impressed by new manager Roy Hodgson's dealings in the transfer market in his time at Anfield so far and thinks the squad is looking strong.

"It's been great to see the new signings joining," he exclusively told LFC Weekly. "Everyone knows what Coley can do and he is another great player for the squad. Then with established internationals like Christian Poulsen coming in and the other lads, the squad is getting bigger and stronger now.

"That was a criticism that some people levelled at us last season, saying we didn't have that strength in depth but we do now.

"Obviously the news that Stevie and Fernando were staying gave everyone another lift. The last thing any player wants to see is the best players leave. The fans don't want to see that and the manager doesn't want that either.

"It's good for everyone that all the boys have stayed around and I think we're almost there in terms of having the ideal squad."

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

“Kenny is good at making deals, as in facilitating deals for other people. He would certainly be capable of bringing people together. But Kenny is also very, very good at promoting Kenny.”

This is a quote from a source close to former Liverpool takeover bidder Kenny Huang talking to SportingIntelligence.com at the start of the month. For me, it kind of somes up what’s happened over the past few weeks with the Chinese businessman’s bid for the club. First it was said that Huang was a billionaire, next it was said he had rich backers although he himself did not have the money to finance a takeover, and then the British media revealed that his backers were in fact CIC (the Chinese Investment Corporation.) Again, this was denied, and then nobody knew exactly who was backing Huang’s bid for the club.

Another revelation came on the 12th August when Huang’s business partner Marc Ganis, who had outlined Huang’s bid a few days before stated to the Daily Telegraph that they actually hadn’t identified investors who could finance the bid:

“We haven’t yet decided to submit a formal proposal but are interested in looking at an investment there. I suspect that is obvious. We also have not identified the potential investors.”

Eventually on Friday though, Huang revealed in a statement that he had withdrawn his interest in buying Liverpool FC. Apparently, according to the Daily Telegraph, Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton issued certain demands that Huang was not willing to submit to.

Roy Hodgson today warned his players not to dwell on the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City as they prepare for two crunch matches in three days.

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The gaffer knows positive results against Trabzonspor and West Brom could kickstart 2010-11 - and he wants his stars to play without any Eastlands hangover.
He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It's a group of experienced players. We've all been in football a long time and know you don't win incessantly and you don't lose incessantly if you're a club like ours.
"Defeats are something that come along the way but it's very important to get on with things quickly and don't allow them to poison what's after.
"We've got to make certain it doesn't affect us on Sunday in particular against West Bromwich Albion, when we really do need to win to kickstart our season.
"Let's make sure we pick ourselves up on the training field and get some enjoyment out of our football."
The Reds have collected one point from difficult opening games at home against Arsenal and away to Manchester City - but Hodgson is not concerned.
"For me it's very much a work in progress here," he said." It's only been a few weeks since I've been working with this group of players.
"We've got a lot of work to do and the players know that. They were very upset and disappointed on Monday but it's up to us to put it right in the coming games."
The boss believes his side were unlucky to find themselves 3-0 down against Roberto Mancini's men.
He explained: "Finishing was one major difference. They were very strong in the final third and without creating a lot of chances managed to score three goals.
"I thought for long periods of the game it was fairly even and both teams passed the ball fairly well in the middle of the park. But the difference, as in all games, is goals. They took their chances well.
"Their first goal in particular was a good finish, though I'm a little bit more disappointed with the other two because they are goals that under normal circumstances we don't concede."

Chris Mavinga has threatened to leave Liverpool after claiming that Roy Hodgson has snubbed the club's foreign youngsters.

Mavinga, 19, was signed from Paris St Germain last summer by Rafael Benitez, Hodgson's predecessor, and trained with the first team but has returned to the Reds' reserves despite enjoying a starring role in France's uropean Under-19 Championship triumph last month.

The left-back had hoped his international exploits would have seen him handed more opportunities but feels limited due to Hodgson's vision of restoring Liverpool's status as an 'English club'.

I am disappointed," he said.

"I thought that with the success I had with France and what I produced on the training ground I would have the opportunity to train with the first team and play bits of games.

"But a new coach arrived. Roy Hodgson, who replaced Rafael Benitez, is changing the organization of the club and is trying to encourage English players ahead of foreign ones, unlike his predecessor.

"He clearly stated he wanted to remake Liverpool into an English club."

Mavinga is now considering his options away from Anfield and has hinted that he could leave in the January transfer window if his current situation does not improve.

He added: "I love the club, but if the situation requires me to go, I will.

"I'm not asking to contest a full season in the first team. I'm just demanding a fair opportunity to train, then later have a little game time.

"This is a logical progression and if I stay with the reserves, it is the brake. I hope to find a new club. Liverpool are not keen to loan me.

"If I'm not leaving this summer, I hope I can do it in January, if my situation does not change by then."

Keith Harris claims an overseas buyer has completed due diligence for a potential takeover at Liverpool and is now considering an offer between £400million and £500million.

Liverpool are attracting global interest in the quest to secure new owners to replace American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks at Anfield.

Several possible buy-outs have fallen by the wayside, but there could be fresh hope for Liverpool in the form of a previously unpublicised party.

Harris, who has had a hand in the sales of Aston Villa, West Ham and Manchester City in the past, said due diligence has already been done.

"The overseas buyer we represent has completed due diligence. A huge amount of work has been done," he said.

"It is none of the groups mentioned in the press. The ball is now in our client's court to make an offer.

"I do not think the deal will be done before the transfer window closes this month, but the next pressure point is October when some of the RBS loan of £237million has to be repaid.

"It may happen then. But in the present climate these things are impossible to predict."

Last week Hong Kong-based businessman Kenny Huang - whose interest was allied to the Chinese government - pulled out of the bidding process, while Syrian-Canadian Yahya Kirdi's much-publicised interest has been treated with scepticism.

Harris said history has taught him that those who went public before an agreement had been reached rarely succeeded.

"The Chinese government involvement was always a bit far-fetched," he told the London Evening Standard.

"In any takeover situation, when people resort to announcing it to the media, you have to question the seriousness of the offer.

"If the name of the prospective buyer comes out before the deal is done then probably it is never going to be done.

"Look at when Chelsea was sold in 2003. My firm was advising the club and we only knew of Roman Abramovich on the Thursday before the deal was completed the following Tuesday."

Juventus are chasing Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos - which could lead to a swap involving David Trezeguet.

The Daily Mail says Juve are looking for a new home for 32-year-old France striker Trezeguet, who has also interested Spanish clubs, and he has been touted as an alternative to struggling Fernando Torres at Anfield.

Trezeguet’s agent Antonio Caliendo said: "It is true that Liverpool are interested, but they are not the only team. Zaragoza and Hercules are also interested in him. We are evaluating and, after a day of reflection, we will consider what action to take."

Juve boss Luigi Del Neri wants to add a defender and reports in Italy suggest Kyrgiakos has emerged as a target. The Greece international only arrived from AEK Athens for £2million last summer, but Liverpool are well-stocked with central defenders - including Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and new boy Danny Wilson.

Argentina left back Emiliano Insua could also be offered to the Turin side.

Inter Milan are offering Liverpool a choice of several players in a swap bid for Dirk Kuyt.

Corriere dello Sport says Liverpool are seeking £14 million for the Dutchman and are refusing to budge from their valuation.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has relented and agreed to up his cash offer from £3 million to £8 million plus the choice of a player from: Sulley Muntari, Victor Obinna, Nelson Rivas, Amantino Mancini, Nicolas Burdisso and David Suazo.

Manchester United and Liverpool are being linked with a late bid for Marseille firebrand Hatem Ben Arfa.

The Marseille playmaker has been offered a deal by Werder Bremen and a "top Premier League club" - which his agent Michel Ouazine indicated was not Newcastle United.

The Daily Mail says Ouazine declared the identity of the English team making a move would be a 'big surprise', with reports in France suggesting either Liverpool or Manchester United would be the ones making the bid.

Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be a long-term admirer of the 23-year-old, who has also been offered to Everton and other Premier League teams this summer.

"Negotiations are continuing," said Ouazine. "We are finalising the contract."

Ben Arfa comes with issues. He is currently refusing to play for Marseille in a bid to force a move and is training alone away from his employers.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp has slammed the behaviour of Javier Mascherano, claiming the Argentine should not forget where he was prior to his move to Anfield.

The 26-year-old allegedly refused to play against Premier League rivals Manchester City last night in an effort to engineer his move to Barcelona, but Redknapp believes the midfielder owes Liverpool, and not the other way round.

Mascherano was brought to Anfield in 2007 despite suffering an underwhelming spell at West Ham United that at times resulted in him playing for the Hammers’ reserves, and Redknapp believes the Argentina captain would do well to remember what Liverpool have done for him.

The Sky Sports pundit told the Daily Mail: “Maybe Javier Macherano must have forgotten where he was when Liverpool came to sign him - in West Ham's reserves.

“They salvaged his career. How does he repay them? By refusing to play last night.

“He's a good player, not a great one, but he's certainly not a good man.”

The latest reports suggest Mascherano has already agree personal terms with Barcelona, over an £85,000 a week deal even though the two clubs remain someway apart in their respective valuations of the tough tackling star.

Juventus are keen on Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos and could offer David Trezeguet in return for the Greece defender.
The Italians expect to complete the loan signing of Alberto Aquilani from Liverpool later on Tuesday - a move that has been slowed by thorough medical checks on the injury-hit midfielder.
The Reds also signed Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen from Juve earlier this month, but talks between the two clubs aren’t done yet.

The Serie A side are looking for a new home for 32-year-old France striker Trezeguet, who has also interested Spanish clubs, and he has been touted as an alternative to struggling Fernando Torres at Anfield.
Trezeguet’s agent Antonio Caliendo said: ‘It is true that Liverpool are interested, but they are not the only team. Zaragoza and Hercules are also interested in him. We are evaluating and, after a day of reflection, we will consider what action to take.’
Juve boss Luigi Del Neri wants to add a defender and reports in Italy suggest Kyrgiakos has emerged as a target. The Greece international only arrived from AEK Athens for £2million last summer, but Liverpool are well-stocked with central defenders - including Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and new boy Danny Wilson.
Argentina left back Emiliano Insua could also be offered to the Turin side.

Bolton's versatile defender-cum-midfielder Matt Taylor could be set for a move to either West Ham or Liverpool this summer after both clubs reportedly made initial enquiries about the player this week.

Taylor hasn't featured in either of Bolton's opening two Premier League fixtures, and may demand a move before the end of the transfer window if he continues to be overlooked.
Trotters boss Owen Coyle is keen to hold onto the 28-year-old, who impressed with Portsmouth before moving to the Reebok Stadium in 2008.

But with Hammers boss Avram Grant - a former Pompey director of football during Taylor's spell on the south coast - keen to take the talented left-sided star to Upton Park, he could have his head turned.
Similarly, Reds manager Hodgson is deserpate to add another left-back to his squad and wants a player with Premier League experience and one he knows about already.

And the former Fulham boss believes Taylor would be the perfect foil for right-back Glen Johnson in marauding forward from the full-back positions.
Hodgson has previously spoken of his reluctance to sign players on a whim - especially ones he has not scouted as the end of the transfer window closes in.
However, Taylor is a player he is familiar with and one that could come at a bargain price for the Anfield outfit.

Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra is in the sights of Liverpool.

The Daily Mail says Liverpool are weighing up a free transfer move for Diarra should they sell Javier Mascherano to Barcelona.

The powerful 29-year-old is one of four players earmarked for sale by Jose Mourinho and Real had slapped a £6m price tag on him. However, it is understood they will now allow him to leave on a free transfer for the right club.

Agent Frederic Guerra said: "Mahamadou is still a top player and he can do a great job in the Premier League. There is a lot of interest."

Manchester United and Blackburn have also been credited with interest but Liverpool would be his preferred option.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has warned midfielder Javier Mascherano that he will not be allowed to leave the club on the cheap, despite continuing interest from Barcelona.

The 26-year-old was absent from the Reds squad for the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Monday evening, with Hodgson feeling that the Argentinian's head was not right for the game.

He warned after the game:"Unfortunately the fee the club thinks is the correct fee and the fee we are being offered are very far apart.

"Unless that can be resolved he might be unhappy for a long time to come. But I have no wish to create headlines over the Mascherano situation.

"The discussions between Barcelona and the club are being held at high club level and as a result I don't really want to get involved in it.

"It is not the first time these things have happened – there are quite a lot of clubs suffering at the moment by their players being courted by others and their players being unhappy at being required to fulfil their contracts.

"It has happened to us now. Hopefully matters will get resolved, certainly before the end of the transfer window and I'll have a chance to pick him again, but last night would not have been a good time to select him.

"It will happen, I guess, a day when the offer for him matches our valuation, but until that day he stays with us."

It seems that Alberto Aquilani's proposed loan move to Juventus has hit a stumbling block and, surprise surprise, it appears to have something to do with his fitness. After a medical that lasted six hours on Monday, he will undergo more tests on Tuesday. But his agent still appears confident of pushing through a deal: “It is all good. He will undergo more tests [but] everything is going well, up to schedule.”

Alberto Aquilani is to undergo a 2nd medical with Juventus tomorrow after Italian doctors refused to give him the green light to proceed with his loan deal.
The Liverpool midfielder underwent a medical this morning which lasted more than 3 hours (twice as long as expected) and doctors were not satisfied with the outcome.
Juventus will have another look at him tomorrow before deciding whether or not to push ahead with the transfer.

Glen Johnson believes Liverpool have the strength in depth to be competitive on all fronts this season.

The Reds full-back has been impressed by new manager Roy Hodgson's dealings in the transfer market in his time at Anfield so far and thinks the squad is looking strong.
"It's been great to see the new signings joining," he exclusively told LFC Weekly. "Everyone knows what Coley can do and he is another great player for the squad. Then with established internationals like Christian Poulsen coming in and the other lads, the squad is getting bigger and stronger now.
"That was a criticism that some people levelled at us last season, saying we didn't have that strength in depth but we do now.
"Obviously the news that Stevie and Fernando were staying gave everyone another lift. The last thing any player wants to see is the best players leave. The fans don't want to see that and the manager doesn't want that either.
"It's good for everyone that all the boys have stayed around and I think we're almost there in terms of having the ideal squad."

LIVERPOOL’S rain-soaked supporters who made the trip to Eastlands were let down big time last night.
Not by those weary players in red who trudged off at the final whistle having been comprehensively out-thought, out-battled and out-played by an impressive Manchester City side.
But by one man still on the Anfield payroll who decided to duck out of a vital clash with the club likely to provide the greatest threat to the Reds’ hopes of reclaiming their top four status.
Javier Mascherano has made no secret of the fact he wants out and Liverpool’s position has been crystal clear from the moment he met Roy Hodgson for the first time with his agent in tow at Melwood last month and demanded a move.

The Reds don’t want to sell but will reluctantly grant Mascherano his wish if the price is right.
In the absence of any bids, Hodgson has been pressing on with Mascherano as part of his plans.
For his part the Argentina captain’s professionalism had been admirable with his heroic performance against Arsenal on the opening weekend a reminder of how much he would be missed if a deal is done.
But all that changed yesterday. After a derisory offer in the region of £12million from Barcelona, which Liverpool swiftly rejected out of hand, Mascherano made himself unavailable for selection.
Hodgson diplomatically said he was left out because “he wasn’t in the right frame of mind”.
But after having his head turned by the Catalan giants, Mascherano effectively downed tools.
With the transfer deadline looming, the 26-year-old is clearly trying to force the Reds’ hand.
But in doing so he let down all those supporters who he has always claimed he’s so proud to play for.

Mascherano owed it to those who finance his hefty salary with their hard-earned cash to keep fighting for the cause until Liverpool informed him a deal was agreed.
A bit of payback from a player who was stuck in West Ham Reserves and his career going nowhere fast before the Reds snapped him up.
His insistence that his only desire to move on was because of his family’s failure to settle on Merseyside earned some sympathy on the Kop.
That went out of the window yesterday when he turned his back on his team-mates and the fans.
To rub salt into Liverpool’s wounds, Mascherano was sorely missed on a dismal evening.
When Hodgson admitted afterwards that Roberto Mancini’s side “took control of the game”, it was an admission that the Reds lost the battle in the middle of the park.
Lucas Leiva has made great progress over the past 12 months but he was left chasing shadows last night against City’s central midfield trio of Yaya Toure, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry.
Liverpool needed a physical presence to stamp their authority on proceedings but they didn’t have one.
In truth there was a gulf in class between the two sides.

Hardly surprising considering Liverpool’s side cost less to assemble than the £90million of talent sat warming Manchester City’s bench, including £70million worth of strikers in Emmanuel Adebayor, David Silva and Jo.
Money might not be able to buy success but it certainly helps and Sheikh Mansour was on hand to witness what a £1billion investment gets you these days.
Liverpool’s worst league defeat at the hands of City for 73 years hurt, but Mascherano’s decision to turn his back on the club cut deeper.